When it comes to technology on the farm there appears to be explosion of potential on the horizon.
However, just what farmers might ultimately do with some of the new developments will take some time to see, offered Peter Gredig with AgNition Inc..
Gredig, who was speaking in Canora last Wednesday said while “resistance is futile” in terms of technology, there is a rather well-defined evolution for any new idea.
It starts with “a peak of inflated expectation,” driven by hype and media, he said.
Once the shine wears off a bit there is “a trough of disillusionment” where people feel disappointed as the new technology falls short of the expectation generated by the hype.
From that point users take over and begin to create uses for the technology which makes it more useful, said Gredig, a time he called “the slope of enlightenment.”
One those ideas find uses which make the technology more viable once you hit “the plateau of productivity,” he said.
Gredig said the idea of global positioning systems “is a prime example.” He said while the initial perceived use of constant mapping of fields might have been somewhat anticlimatic given the limited change year-to-year.
However, when farmers realized they could utilize GPS to drive equipment in straighter lines, avoiding overlap and saving money of seed, fertilizer and chemicals in the process, the technology began to show pay back.
Gredig said the people adopting technology initially also fall into a certain mindset, one where they are generally open-minded, curious, and forward looking.
“They don’t box off,” he said.
Innovators, those who create fresh uses for technology are those “looking for solutions to problems, rather than being driven by whiz bang.”
While new technology can have merit, it is not always a fit for everyone.
Gredig said when robotic milkers first hit the dairy sector, it was a huge step for some dairy producers to take.
“It was a giant shift,” he said.
“A guy who milks cows for 40-years knew what he did, he milked cows.”
But once robotics milkers took over, that dairyman was pushed into more of a management, record keeping and herd health role, and many felt they were no longer in the role they liked.
“They didn’t anticipate how it would input their day-to-day,” said Gredig.
That said, Gredig foresees some dramatic new technology out today which farmers may find innovative ways to use.
One such piece of tech is the 3D printer.
“It’s pretty amazing technology,” said Gredig, but he also cautioned “It’s at the top of the expectation peak.
“We still have to go through the trough of disillusionment.”
The technology allows 3D printing using plastics, and even liquid metals.
“You can make a plastic gun. You can make anything,” offered Gredig.
What does that mean on the farm?
Gredig said equipment parts “are using more plastics than ever before.” That provides an opportunity for a specification file to be sent to a farmer’s printer, and the part ran on-site, although he said initially it will likely be a case of dealership running parts in-store.
Where the 3D printer could be a real book is for “the entrepreneur farmer,” offered Gredig, adding it could be a perfect way to go from idea to multiple prototypes.
“It’s an acceleration of innovation,” he said. “Just keep your eye on it and think how we can use it.”
Drones are also exciting tech for farmers, offered Gredig.
“They have a big potential for agriculture … Everybody is excited about them,” he said, but again added they are at the ‘hype’ stage. “I still think the technology is ahead of the agronomy.”
The initial thought is to use the drone for aerial mapping of fields, but Gredig expects varied uses to be developed. He said one Saskatchewan designer has created a small spray tank, and using identifying tech it can hoover over a single weed and apply chemical.
Another producer realized he could save climbing his 150-foot silos to check levels by sending his drone up with its camera.
“He found a better way,” said Gredig.
